Child Protection Team Model
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CHILDREN ON THE EDGE CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS BUILDING A PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN IN UGANDAN SLUM COMMUNITIES INTRODUCTION Despite an almost universal ratification of the risk. They are advocates with a focus on Convention for the Rights of the Child, the upholding child rights. They are also the eyes protection of children from exploitation, and ears of the institutions that can help. neglect and abuse is weak in many places across the world. The model is low cost, sustainable, community owned and rooted in a child rights approach. Legislation at national level often has trouble It does not have a ‘one size fits all’ method, it translating to the grass roots of vulnerable is responsive to the needs of each community, communities. Due to lack of resources, yet lends itself to the process of being awareness and motivation, the implementation simplified, replicated and scaled up to create of child rights standards can be patchy at change on a wider scale. best. The response to this problem by charitable organisations can often be shaped This approach does not detract from national by attention to symptoms rather than causes frameworks set out for child protection, but and the injection of capital rather than long- identifies the capacities needed to support term community development. these frameworks at societal and familial level2. Within the context of these frameworks, The Uganda Police Crime report has reported communities are encouraged to identify gaps child sexual abuse as one of the top crimes in in child protection that are specific to their Uganda, with other forms of child abuse; own area and connect with the relevant duty physical, emotional, social and economic bearers. In partnership with these services shown as being on the rise. Currently, child- and through the participation of the children sensitive aspects of social protection activities themselves, they are trained and resourced to are not well-articulated and child protection develop the factors that will keep their systems strengthening activities are limited1. children safer in the long term. Through building relationships in small This document will give a concise breakdown Ugandan slum communities, Children on the of the components necessary to create an Edge have developed a simple Child effective Child Protection Team. It will then Protection Team (CPT) model, which has describe the development of this model proved effective in supporting communities in through our initial pilot programme and its the creation of a protective environment for replication into the wider area. their children. Through the clarification of this model and the The CPTs act as a link between the community outlining of case studies profiling its success, children and the duty bearers that are we hope to provide a tool by which the responsible for their care (i.e. parents, local approach can be replicated on a wider scale counsellors, police, schools etc). They are a throughout vulnerable communities in Uganda voice for the voiceless, intervening and and potentially beyond. advising in situations where children are at 1 (2015) UNICEF and The Republic of Uganda - Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda 2 The Committee on the Rights of the Child recognises that responsibilities to respect and ensure the rights of children extend in practice beyond the state to include children, parents, wider families, carers and non-state services and organisations. General Comment No. 5, supra note 6, 56. 1 CONTENTS 1. The Child Protection Team (CPT) model p 3 1.1 Background 1.2 The seven components 2. Masese II CPT - Pilot Project p 11 1.1 How the CPT bought change 1.2 Going forward 3. Replication - Masese I, Masese III & Loco p 18 3.1 Identification of needs 3.2 Creating the new teams 3.3 Work so far 3.4 The next step - Education funds 4. Child Protection Teams - Scaleability p 23 5. In Conclusion p 25 2 1. CHILD PROTECTION TEAM MODEL 1.1 Background • Children in post earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia. • Migrant, refugee and IDP (internally Children on the Edge displaced people) children who have escaped ethnic cleansing and persecution Children on the Edge exists to help in Burma or living within Burma and on its marginalised and forgotten children, who are borders. living on the edge of their societies across the • Children in the post earthquake slums of world. These are children without parental Port au Prince, care, neglected or persecuted by their • Working children and Rohingya refugee governments, ignored by international media children in Bangladesh and missed by large overseas agencies. • Children from the Dalit ‘untouchable’ caste in India For over 25 years we have been working in • Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. partnership with local communities, helping them to create safe, child friendly The projects undertaken with each of these environments. We support children to realise groups are bespoke to the community we are their rights, and restore the ingredients of a full working with. We support local people to give childhood by generating hope, life, colour and these children a safe environment where they fun. are protected. Our work ensures that their rights are realised; in particular their rights to Our expertise over this time has been built up shelter, nourishment, education and play. working in situations of conflict, poverty and natural disaster. In addition to our child Our programmes are often used as models of protection in Uganda, projects have included good practice, leading to change on a larger work with: scale and creating an impact that punches above our weight. • Institutionalised children in Romania, Albania and Bosnia • Kosovan refugee children in Albania and during the rebuilding process in Kosovo • Traumatised children and youth post- conflict in Timor-Leste 3 Masese II slum, Uganda This resulted in an environment where children were highly vulnerable to abuse. Despite the high level of support expressed by the Ugandan government regarding child Most seriously this neglect left children prone rights, due to lack of resources amongst other to abduction by perpetrators of child sacrifice, factors, these national commitments lack a practice that is sadly still common in many sufficient practical impact in many of the most parts of Uganda. vulnerable communities. Through building relationships with, and In 2011 we were invited to contribute to a training people in the community, piece by children's project facilitated by a Ugandan piece we were able to support them in the NGO which was providing vocational training creation of a protective environment for their to teenagers in a very needy slum area children. surrounding Jinja, they identified a gap in the provision of safety and care for small children This group of volunteers provided with which we were asked to help address. ongoing support, training and simple resources have motivated their neighbours to When we first began working in Masese II take pride in the area, to pursue productive slum, children were extremely vulnerable to sources of income to create an environment neglect, abuse and exploitation. Sanitary where children are safe. conditions were appalling, with rubbish piled throughout every stretch of the slum. The main source of income was through unlicensed breweries which were not only physically dangerous for children but created a community of adults who were rarely sober. 4 1.2 The Seven Child Protection Team ask how they came to the community and find Components out a bit more. If you identify someone who is responsive then you go back to them again the next day. In this process you begin to This section will outline the basic components understand.” Babra COTE Africa Social of creating, training and facilitating a Child Worker. Protection Team (CPT). The following sections will then give an overview of how this model Through talking with local people they begin served to create change through our pilot to get an impression about the needs and project and how it now being replicated into problems in the area. They then carry out the wider area. surveys, play with the children and chat about their lives, make door to door visits, meet the The vital components of Child Protection community leaders and the chairpeople, talk Teams are; to area councillors and the police. The triangulation of all these things builds up a 1. Community relationship building picture of what the community identify as 2. Community led sensitisation crucial for their children. 3. Election, training and resourcing of CPTs 4. Strengthening of connections with duty b) Building trust bearers 5. Education loans “You don’t walk in like you’re the boss. These 6. The encouragement of child participation people were here before you. You need to talk 7. Ongoing team training, retention and to them on their level, then they will open up. If sustainability you have meeting at a slum and you’re thinking “I’m so special, I can only touch 1. Community Relationship Building things with my handkerchief’ then next time no one will be at the meeting.” Babra COTE a) Identifying needs Africa Social Worker. The initial stages of most development One of the main principles in building trust projects are focused on needs assessments. and ensuring the sustainability of the team is With this model, building relationships with the to avoid any kind of promise regarding community is essential to the identification of resources and investment. Because of the fast its needs. When starting out, although our staff turnover of various charitable organisations in have a thorough knowledge of the area vulnerable communities, when approached, through external data and statistics, these are people often expect the result to be a short just a context within which to place the voices lived project with a small group of of the people actually living and experiencing beneficiaries.